Watching this “quick-witted spy drama†series on Apple TV. Premise: Washed up British MI5 unit that’s been sidelined (run by a very grumpy Gary Oldman) stumbles onto a false flag operation being run by their unpleasant boss (Kristin Scott Thomas).
Five episodes in, highly recommended.
Gary Oldman and Kirstin Scott Thomas are amazing. It’s fantastic.
It’s first class. Absolutely outstanding TV.
The absolute sweet spot between “prestige TV” and digestible soap. Each season is 6 episodes and they’re all stellar. I have some very minor quibbles around the writing for some of the second tier characters but it’s a 9.9 for me. Gary Oldman is insanely good but I’m still shook from seeing Siegfried Farnon as an asshole.
The absolute sweet spot between “prestige TV” and digestible soap. Each season is 6 episodes and they’re all stellar. I have some very minor quibbles around the writing for some of the second tier characters but it’s a 9.9 for me. Gary Oldman is insanely good but I’m still shook from seeing Siegfried Farnon as an asshole.
Yeah this is more or less my assessment. I think the season 2 premise may have been a little too contrived for my liking but no complaints otherwise. I love how short the seasons are - you’re not following a million twists and turns and characters. There’s enough meat to keep you engaged and thinking, and it comes together nicely in the end with great characters and acting. Top notch television all around.
There are endless good Oldman lines through out but there is a scene at the end of series three where he says something to Ho that I think was just hysterical
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Yep. Just watched series 3, and they’ve already got season 4 shot I think. Good stuff.
The television adaption stays very faithful to the Mick Herron series, with a large amount of the acerbic rejoinders so easily dispensed by Oldman being the writing of Herron. Obviously the books have some more detail, with each season following a book. When I read the books now, I imagine the television characters, so well do they inhabit each-others Worlds, one of book and one of television. Oldman is fantastic, but even the character of Ho (Chung), River (Lowden), the OB (Price), Taverner (Scott Thomas) and Shirley Dander (Edwards) are acted so closely to the source material, it is very enjoyable for fans of Herron’s books. A really good adaption, and when put up against the dross that is the Reacher television adaption, the actors’ performances shine even brighter.
This. There were parts of the books where I laughed out loud.
Me too. It’s a shame that the TV adaptation probably won’t be able to provide us with The Rodster’s brilliant-cum-ludicrous internal monologue.
excellent casting. been jumping out of my seat a couple of times. Run River Run
I love that Jackson Lamb is basically a huge thought experiment into “what if George Smiley had been, instead of a “great spy and a pathetic man” (le Carre, RIP), a great spy and an utter twat to everybody around him.” And Gary Oldman previously played George Smiley.
(Trivia: The minicab driver in Smiley’s People is “J. Lamb”.)
Yep. Just watched series 3, and they’ve already got season 4 shot I think. Good stuff.
Season 4 should be coming soon? That’s great news.
I think I’ve read all of LeCarre’s books. I love how this is a dark humour take on that world.
My Wife and I restarted this a couple weeks ago. It is fantastic, I was very disappointed we caught completely up and now we have to wait for weekly episodes.
roddy ho is my favorite, that car!!
Just restarted my Apple TV subscription for season 4. Looking forward to it.